Well done!
After all the arguing and hurt feelings, perhaps this novel approach
was the best way for Clark and Lois to go. They were finally able to sit down (sometimes) and have a serious discussion about the truth (and any lack thereof). I much prefer this route to them dancing around each other all season and messing their friendship / relationship up more (and dealing with Call-me-Daniel and blonde A.D.A.'s).
Interesting discussion about Clark and his views on "being normal" and how worrying about such things makes him normal. What if he had concentrating more on how similar he was with humans instead of how different? Would he have grown up to be the same man?
Little things had begun making sense in the wake of Clark’s manuscript, and she had the feeling she’d be continuing to put things together for quite some time. It was still galling though to realize that she’d missed things even from the very beginning.
I like all these clues that suddenly become clear to her now that she knows the truth. They are like little jewels sprinkled throughout this whole part.
Not being able to tell anyone who he really was, to never be himself around anyone—it must have made him so isolated. She understood why Jonathan had been so paranoid, so desperate to protect the son he clearly loved, but she wished they’d been able to keep the secret without passing on all that fear to Clark.
How would this have changed his personality, I wonder, if it were even possible. They grew up in the cold war era. Fear was ingrained into his past from moment one when they hid the truth of where Clark came from. From the moment those strange men came around asking about strange sights in the sky, fear of losing him. Fear of what those strangers might do to their son. I don't know how they would've been able to raise him without the fear.
“Regardless, I didn’t handle Luthor well. I didn’t handle our relationship well. I didn’t pursue you as Clark, and then rushed you. I gave off signals as Superman. I knew I couldn’t have a relationship with you as Superman; it was just hard to suppress my feelings for you when I felt like you actually saw me whenever I had the cape on. I raised your expectations, and then rejected you—”
Good point!
“That’s part of it. I am a woman trying to make it in a man’s world,” she said.
It's amazing how blind many men are to the real struggles women had (and still have) to been seen as a professional equal.
“But it’s also not a style I’m very good at, and I’ve found that Perry doesn’t give me as many of those assignments now that I have a reputation for hating them. Anyway, I know I don’t tell you often enough, but you’ve always been able to move me with your words. It wasn’t the style of article that bothered me about the Kerths—once I’d thought about it, I realized it was a perfect article for you to have nominated because you care about the disenfranchised, and your writing is so perfect for highlighting their plight and getting people to really care about it. Like I said, I just freaked out because I thought the Kerth committee agreed with the gossip, and I used the fact that my article had a larger global impact to argue against it. I really do like that our styles complement each other.”
She finally admitted it!
I love Lois's thought process here:
Having a relationship—a real relationship—with Clark was so much bigger than whether she wanted Clark or not. She knew she wanted him; she loved him.
She knew she loved him but not what she wanted to do with him once he reciprocated?
This is so her; not having thought everything through to the end.
Great story! I loved this in-depth look into their feelings and getting over the little (and not-so-little) hurts. It's probably for these reasons canon Clark never quite trusted in Lois's love and that he actually believed that she would prefer Lex Luthor to him (during the whole ARGH arc). Only by exploring these issues can they know the full truth. By making Clark a bit less of a doormat, you've made their relationship all the stronger.
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